By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – A six-year-old boy has become the first reported pertussis fatality in Bacolod this year.
Dr. Grace Tan, head of the City Health Office (CHO) Environment Sanitation Division, confirmed the death on Monday night. The boy, a resident of Barangay Villamonte, passed away on May 26.
As of June 1, the CHO has recorded 53 probable pertussis cases in the city. Of these, 16 have been confirmed, while 33 were negative.
Villages with the highest number of confirmed pertussis cases include Barangay Taculing with three cases, and Barangays Tangub, Villamonte, and Vista Alegre, each with two cases.
Tan emphasized the importance of completing pertussis vaccinations in children under two years old. Currently, the city has four suspected pertussis cases with pending results.
Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez and Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson issued a joint public health advisory on pertussis awareness, urging the public to be vigilant about the rising number of confirmed and probable cases in the city and province.
